Yuba Water Invests Millions to Improve Local Water Supply Reliability and Water Quality by Yuba Water Agency Oct 16, 2024 Member Submitted News Yuba Water has committed more than $3 million to support local projects aimed at improving water supply reliability in the Yuba County foothills, protecting water quality in the Yuba River watershed and shoring-up key infrastructure that reduces flood risk for the City of Marysville. Improved efficiency and water conservation in the foothills Yuba Water approved an amendment to increase a previously awarded grant for the North Yuba Water District from $240,000 to $1.6 million to replace aging residential, commercial and agricultural water meters. The meter replacement project will improve water-use efficiency, allowing for remote meter reading to detect leaks early. The funds from Yuba Water will be used as a local match for North Yuba Water District to qualify for a possible $2 million federal grant. The district will contribute $705,000 of its own funds toward the project. Additionally, Yuba Water approved a $761,083 cost-share grant for canal improvements within North Yuba Water District’s service area. The canal stabilization project will involve lining 10,850 feet of canal to reduce water loss and improve reliability for water deliveries to residents in Brownsville, Frenchtown, Dobbins and Oregon House. “They’ve saved so much water from the projects they’ve already done,” said Jon Messick, Yuba Water’s chairman of the board. “They’ve delivered irrigation water for the last two years, and that hadn’t happened in a long time. So, the projects we’ve helped them complete are making a huge difference. This will save an additional 1,500 gallons per minute – a 50 percent cut. That’s a ton of water.” Yuba Water’s grant will cover half of the project, with the district funding the remaining cost. Pump upgrades to reduce flood risk for Marysville An additional $713,000 grant to Marysville will help replace three large flow pumps and an electric motor on a low flow pump at the city’s 17th Street pump station near Highway 20. The station collects stormwater from much of the city before pumping it back into the Yuba River channel and plays a key role in reducing flood risk for east Marysville during intense rain events. The city is planning the work to coincide with additional pump upgrades funded by a separate $275,000 grant from the Feather River Air Quality Management District to streamline improvements and reduce overhead costs. The pump replacement is part of ongoing improvements to the 7.6-mile-long Marysville Ring Levee, a multi-agency flood risk reduction project that includes Yuba Water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the Marysville Levee Commission. Combating environmental impacts of illegal cannabis grows Lastly, Yuba Water awarded the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department Marijuana Enforcement Team $70,000 to double the impact of a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce environmental impacts throughout the Yuba River watershed from environmental violations related to illegal cannabis grows. So far this year, the enforcement team executed 44 search warrants, destroyed more than 94,000 marijuana plants and 5,000 pounds of processed marijuana, arrested 30 suspects and documented more than 150 environmental violations directly affecting local waterways. The funds from Yuba Water will help the task force continue to address illegal water diversions and discharges, including pesticides that negatively impact both surface and groundwater quality throughout the watershed. Each grant was previously reviewed and recommended for approval by Yuba Water’s Project Operations and Development Committee during their Oct. 1 meeting. During the meeting, Yuba Water also shared a new video highlighting the positive impact of the agency’s Community Impact Grant and Loan Program featuring some of its recent grantees. Watch the new video here and learn more at yubawater.org. ###
